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Big Target : Following Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s Maiden Journey And Spectacular Success, India Mulls Uncrewed Gaganyaan Mission
The new year will also witness the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), built entirely by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen and Toubro after bagging the contract from the Indian Space Research Organisation in 2023.
Picture Credit : @isro/X
Building on the success of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s maiden journey to the International Space Station (ISS), India is set to take its first steps towards its own human space flight when the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission soars to the skies later this year.
Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos — private players in the space sector — are also gearing up for launching satellites on the home-built rockets Vikram-1 and Agnibaan, as they eye a foothold in the burgeoning small satellites launch market.
The new year will also witness the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), built entirely by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen and Toubro after bagging the contract from the Indian Space Research Organisation in 2023.
Powered by India’s youth, our space programme is getting more advanced and impactful.
With LVM3 demonstrating reliable heavy-lift performance, we are strengthening the foundations for future missions such as Gaganyaan, expanding commercial launch services and deepening global… pic.twitter.com/f53SiUXyZr
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2025
The first orbital test of Gaganyaan, called G-1, with a humanoid robot Vyommitra onboard, is expected to be launched by March this year, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh told Parliament last month.
The humanoid robot will simulate the functions of an astronaut, and the spacecraft will validate critical crew systems in low Earth orbit before India eyes a human space flight sometime in 2027.